It’s never easy to decide whether to raise your child at home or place your child in a childcare setting. There are numerous factors that come into play when making that decision — your own background, economic considerations, your partner’s wishes and your belief in your own abilities to raise your child in the best possible framework.

Recent public conversations have shown that, whatever decision a couple makes, there will be those who try to dissuade them to the “other side.” Parents who want to keep their children at home until school age (or, even later, for homeschooling parents) are told that they will stunt their child’s development and may deprive their child of proper social interactions. Parents who choose to send their child to a day care facility often receive the message that their child won’t develop a strong bond to his parents and will feel lost in “the group.”

Despite these gut reactions, research in the field of early childhood development shows that, with proper stimuli and love, either alternative will promote healthy development and present a solid basis for the child’s future education.

Research in the field of neuroscience has established that approximately 80 percent of a child’s brain development takes place by the time the child reaches the age of five with maximum growth occurring during the first three years. The child’s early environment and experiences has a great deal to do with the child’s future growth and development and determines how much that child will gain from her later education.

At home or in a early childhood setting, what are the components of an effective early childhood education?

The most important component, of course, involves loving primary caregivers and a stimulating environment. These capitalize on those first few years of the child’s development. When combined, loving caregivers and a stimulating environment provide a favorable base that allows the child to maximize his experiences and cognitive input which will lead to future emotional health and educational success.

If parents believe that they are able to provide the child with the love, attention and stimulation that the child needs, and if the financial situation allows, they might keep their child at home for as long as possible. Alternatively, a couple might enroll their child in a day care environment. These parents act on the belief that the child will enjoy the varied activities, will be happier in the company of other children and can gain from a trained educator who provides professional support and structure.

If you’ve chosen to send your child to a day care environment you’ll find numerous early childhood center options. Most early childhood centers are based on the theories of Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist who is best-known for mapping a pattern of cognitive development. Piaget’s theories form the major influence on early childhood educational frameworks in which provide the children are provided with materials and activities that are geared to children’s specific developmental abilities and levels. Other types of early childhood centers include Montessori and Waldorf schools which stress experiential learning, play-based centers and teacher-directed learning centers.

The NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) does not promote one educational philosophy over another but it does express its core belief that the success of any program is dependent on the classroom facilitator. This parallels the view of an educational visionary, L. Milken, who reminds parents and educators that “The most direct and enduring way to reach the mind and imagination of the learner is through the mind, imagination and character of the outstanding teacher.”

NAEYC reminds parents and educators that an early childhood educator should fulfill five key roles:

To enhance development and learning

To create a caring community of learners

To plan curriculum to achieve important goals

To establish reciprocal relationships with families

To assess children’s development and learning

Regardless of your decision of whether your child will be in an early childcare center on a part-time basis, on a full day basis or will be at home with you, review the NAEYC criteria, spend some time visiting an early childhood setting to ascertain how the program addresses these critical issues and then make your decision regarding if, where and for how long your child will be in day care.

For a mother-to-be, nothing is of more importance than caring for her child. And such as prenatal care is a medical field itself and is critical to a healthy life for both mommy and her darling.

Prenatal works with a preventative approach and thus routine check-ups are immensely important. Overall the entire aspect of a mother’s life is controlled including the diet, medication and exercise.

Monthly, weekly or fortnightly visits are decided depending on the specific needs of the patient, while a stress on careful assessment is placed each time. In the Austin locality, the Area Birthing Centre has been particularly lauded for its total commitment to quality care.

Experienced doctors make for a reassuring visit every time, but the first time is quite important as it assesses the initial health of the baby and mother, while pointing out any alarming developments.

The austin prenatal care centre has a specific program designed to appease and familiarize mothers-to-be with the hospital as well as mid-wives. Their counselling program has also been a good success, where both parents are given therapy on pregnancy, delivery and health related issues.

With this approach, there has been a significant drop in maternal death rates, miscarriages, birth weights and other problems associated with child birth. Thus with the constantly changing environment, prenatal care is also evolving and with more scientific involvement, the overall program has helped reduced the stress of pregnancy and motherhood.

This preventative approach allows for solving situations which would have otherwise complicated over time and results in a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.

Cinnamon and Apples can naturally boost your metabolism and this will be a great drink to help you detox! Besides, if you eat one apple in the morning, this will be like drinking a cup of coffee. This is how much energy one apple can give you.

LOW CAL66kcal

FAT FREE0g

SAT-FAT FREE0g

CHOL FREE0mg

SODIUM FREE1mg

CARBS18g

INGREDIENTS

2 apples- whatever kind you like

2 cinnamon sticks

1 large water pitcher or jug

DIRECTIONS

Slice your apples and place them in a cup with 2 sticks. Fill up to the top with water. Let it stay just for the night. If you boil the apples and cinnamon before putting it in your water cup, that way it will release more flavor, then just add ice! That way the process can be sped up and you won’t need to wait for the whole night.

After you drink it, you can replace the water for a few times before throwing out the apples.

Our Breakfast Bowl is an excellent, almost “perfect” morning meal. It provides complimenting fast and slow digesting nutrients and energy needed for a productive day. Almost all the ingredients are “high-satiety” foods and high in fiber.

INGREDIENTS

2 frozen organic bananas (preferably cut into 1″ chunks)

1 cup Kefir

1/2 cup chopped ice

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons cacao nibs

DIRECTIONS

1. Place frozen bananas,ice, and kefir/milk into blender. Blend until smooth, adding additional liquid if necessary.

2. Immediately divide between two large bowls.

3. Scoop a spoonful of nut-butter into each bowl. Then sprinkle with walnuts and cacao nibs.

Note: As an added treat, sprinkle on a few berries of your choice.

TIPS

(optional) fresh organic blueberries

*Kefir adds a great tangy taste a lots of protein as well as probiotics for digestion however if you are vegan or dairy free, you can sub in a nut milk of your choice, which will modify the taste, but is still very good.

I’m not writing this post to highlight the differences between breastfeeding or formula feeding, nor am I writing this to fan the flames of the mother of all arguments. Instead, I’m writing this post in a bid to show the world that breastfeeding advocacy isn’t synonymous with a disdain or fear of formula for many of us.

There have also been times, more on social media than here on the blog, that I have gotten in heated discussions with other women on the topic who would tell me that I was “lucky”, that breastfeeding must have been “easy” for me and my favourite, that I “don’t understand what it’s like to have to reach for a tin of formula.”My passion for breastfeeding and my breastfeeding journey with the Boy has been well documented on this blog.

I do though. Understand, I mean.

I wasn’t always a breastfeeding advocate and if you had told that I would be 4 years ago, I would have told you to put the crack pipe down.

The Bug and I, you see, had a very short-lived breastfeeding relationship and she was formula fed from 3 weeks of age.

The beginning

I had always planned to breastfeed and I don’t think I ever contemplated not doing so.

I remember proudly telling the Midwife that I planned to breastfeed when she asked at my 20 week checkup. ”Good for you,” She said “Alot of girls your age think they were given breasts just to look good in a tank top.” I nodded, and vowed to not be one of those girls.

The birth and the first daze

The Bug & I shared our first breastfeed when she was about 90 minutes old and I remember feeling overwhelmed by the whole experience. Breasts were meant to breastfeed, mothers were meant to feed their babies breastmilk so why wasn’t this whole breastfeeding caper coming naturally to us? Shit, I mean wasn’t this what I was designed to do?

Having had a caesarean, I stayed in the hospital for 5 nights and was lucky enough to be transferred to a smaller, quieter hospital where the Midwives were more than happy to lend a hand to a new Mum, struggling to feed her baby. My breasts were engorged, my nipples were cracked and bleeding and I cried every time the Bug wanted to feed. My midwife hooked me up to a Lactina electric breast pump that I affectionately nicknamed Big Blue and I began to express to give my nipples a break.

When we got home, I went out and hired a Big Blue for myself and continued to milk myself like a jersey cow for a few more days. Upon Big Blue’s return to the community health centre, I invested in a pair of nipple shields and rejoiced in the fact that I was actually able to put my hungry baby to my breast without dissolving into a flood of pained tears.

Trouble in paradise

One night at around 3 weeks, we just could not settle our little Bug. She screamed all. night. long. Literally, all night. We walked around the house, paced, bounced and bopped to no avail. At 4am, we were desperate and loaded her up into the car, planning to pay a visit to the hospital. No healthy baby could possibly fight sleep and scream for 8 continuous hours for no bloody good reason! 20 minutes down the road, she fell into an exhausted sleep and we wearily turned the car around, agreeing to phone our maternal health nurse in the morning.

“She’s lost weight in the past 5 days,” Margaret, our nurse informed us the next morning “How often is she feeding?” Often. “It sounds like your supply is low.” Fabulous, I was starving my baby! Margaret left that day, leaving me with the instructions to demand feed and to visit my GP for a script for some Motilium.

I was left feeling confused by the whole situation and I didn’t know who to ask. Though she had breastfed us and offered me her full support, my Mum didn’t know much about supply issues and the few girlfriends with babies I had that had back then weren’t able to successfully breastfeed or chose not to. If there wasn’t enough milk there, how on Earth was putting my screaming baby to my breast more often going to help her or me? It just didn’t make sense! ”I’m weaning her,” I announced afterwards “This is supposed to be natural but I just can’t seem to get the hang of it. If I did and it was meant to be, I wouldn’t have supply problems!” As far as I was concerned, Margaret’s diagnosis of supply issues was permission to give up

Later that afternoon, I went to Woolworths and bought a tin of formula.

You tried, I cajoled myself as a wave of guilt swept over me while making the Bug her first bottle. You tried and you didn’t make enough milk for her, I repeated as I fed her. She hungrily gulped down that bottle and just like that, I had weaned my daughter.

G is for guilt

There was so much more to be a loving and nurturing mother than just breastfeeding and yet, I could overcome the insurmountable guilt I felt from weaning my Bug. I loved her in every way I could but I still felt like I had failed her. I could not look at a “Breast is best” logo without feeling offended. I despised breastfeeding advocates. I couldn’t look at a mother breastfeeding her baby without feeling a pang of something that I later realised was jealousy.

I was mourning the premature end of the Bug and my breastfeeding relationship by shooting bitter venom into the direction of anyone or anything that uttered the word ‘breastfeeding’, it represented my failure as a mother.

What I know now that I didn’t know then

I often wonder if I would have weaned the Bug if I had been more informed. I had no idea of the mechanics of how my breastmilk was made or how a caesarean delivery or the absence of skin to skin after baby’s birth can have a negative effect on milk production. No one told me that using nipple shields can have a detrimental effect on a mother’s milk supply nor did anyone tell me that breastfeeding was a skill to master, both for Mum and Baby. Ahhh, hindsight!

What I do know however is that not breastfeeding has not affected my daughter in any foreseeable way. She is healthy, intelligent with an amazing sense of humour and a definite future in acting because she is a drama queen! While I struggled for a long time with my perceived failure, I am thankful for it because it made me search to connect with her in other ways and it provided me with the pig-headedness I needed to perceive the second time around …

The second time aroun

In the early weeks after giving birth to the Boy 21 months down the track, I became obsessed with researching the ins, outs and inbetweens of breastfeeding. I was determined to give it another try and I wanted to know everything there was to know about breastfeeding so at least if I failed this time, it was not through a lack of knowledge. I enlisted the help of the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) and despite wanting to wean every single day, I rode out those stormy first 8 weeks until nursing became second nature to both of us, The Boy and I. He ended up nursing until he was 14 months.

Why I am a breastfeeding advocate

I advocate for breastfeeding in little ways. A gentle nudge to dispel a myth here, advice offered when called upon there, sharing of an evidence-based article or a positive blog post or tweet. Mainly though, I advocate through the ABA where I’m training as a Breastfeeding Educator/Counsellor. The main role of a BC is to volunteer on ABA’s Breastfeeding Helpline, a hotline that I rang many, many times during those first few months.

Remembering I have fed my babies every which way and in between, I am not interested in judgement or making anyone feel inferior.

I want to help Mums to ensure they know how their bodies work to feed their babies and so if they do make the decision to wean, they make an informed decision which will hopefully see them not struggle with the overwhelming guilt that I did. If she can go on to have a positive breastfeeding experience, no matter how long or short, then to me, it is all worth it!